Mariner's thyroid levels are low

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

Last week all of our guys were at the vet. Mariner needed to have his phenobarb levels and liver functions checked. Vet ran full blood panel. Mariner's thyroid levels are low. He is going to go on thyroid medication. Does anyone have any information?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Andy, Jack had a thyroid blood panel last fall to rule out any thyroid issues before we did the skin testing. it took three weeks to get the results. I did some research, and thyroid issues are complicated. They really need to do a full panel to be sure. Here is an article from Pet Web library with some helpful information:
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_hypothyroidism.html

I know you will want to pay close attention to the following paragraph from the article, which tells us that dogs who are on seizure meds, including phenobarbitol, often have low levels of one of the thyroid hormones, T4, but this doesn't mean they are hypothyroid:

" Measurement of “T4”: The T4 level (also called the “total T4” level) is measured commonly and is included in many routine screening blood panels. It would seem that a low T4 would indicate hypothyroidism and a normal T4 would indicate normal thyroid function. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. Dogs on certain drugs (most notably phenobarbital and potassium bromide (both seizure medications), prednisone or other corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, propranolol (a heart medication), clomipramine (a behavior drug), or sulfa class antibiotics) or with illnesses other than thyroid disease often have depressed T4 secretion. These dogs will have low T4’s but are not hypothyroid. This means a normal T4 indicates normal thyroid function but a low T4 may or may not indicate hypothyroidism. There is also a “grey zone” where T4 results are considered not definitively normal and not definitively abnormal. In short, T4 alone is not adequate to make a diagnosis of hypothyroidism"
I hope this is of some help; I am sorry to hear that you have something else to worry about with our sweet Mariner. Hugs to you all.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

What was the TSH number? The higher it is the slower the thyroid....I have to agree with Karen...The panel needs to be COMPLETE...Not just overall TSH ...T3 T4 levels are critical...Thyroid function is controlled by the pituitary glad...That gland is located at the base of the brain in dogs...Hmmmm...Wondering if the skull fracture somehow damaged the pituitary....

[Tracey]

Our GR was on thyroid meds for almost half his life. Made a HUGE difference in his skin and weight (no matter how much he exercised, couldn't get/keep his weight down, especially troublesome once his hips got worse and couldn't exercise as much). I agree with the others, full panel very important. And they'll monitor that for you every few months, IIRC.

[Karen & Lucy]

Awwww, poor baby. He has been through soooo much. Hang in there Mariner.

[323jfej66hz9c]

About 10 years ago we had a golden retriever who needed thyroid meds...it gave her a new lease on life...she had become lethargic and tubby....she was almost like a new dog after her meds kicked in. If I remember it was 1 or 2 tablets a day...in a dab of peanut butter. Hope Mariner's feeling fine in no time!

[2fth9nt3tnwuk]

What are the typical costs of thyroid medication on a monthly basis?

[Tracey]

I want to say ours was about $40 for a 90-day supply (one pill, twice a day)? Whatever it was, it wasn't bad =).